Are we seeing Tiananmen Square Part II?

Tomorrow, the National Transformation Council (NTC) goes to Cebu in a conference that is expected to bring huge crowds because I already got information that many people from Mindanao wants to join this event… although I gathered that the next NTC event is slated to be held in Zamboanga. I have no doubt that people are curious on what the NTC can do for our country, when we are in the midst of a political turmoil… where justice is not being served to those crooks in the government, especially on the case of Janet Lim Napoles (JLN).

When the people get frustrated that the three-impeachment cases filed against President Benigno “P-Noy” Aquino III in Congress is thrown out by his peers without a single debate… when the nation’s Vice-President Jejomar Binay calls for a presscon to deny that that Makati Office and Parking building wasn’t a corrupt deal, yet the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee came up with witnesses to testify against the Vice-President, then the Filipino people are fast losing hope if they would ever see justice done under the Aquino regime. This is what the NTC will explain in Cebu tomorrow.

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Over the weekend, we watched Jim Clancy of CNN come up with a special news bulletin on the thousands of pro-democracy student protesters that apparently have clashed with Hong Kong police as the students demanded that Mainland China allow the people of Hong Kong to choose its own leaders. These students are indignant that only Beijing approved candidates are allowed to run for Chief Executive for Hong Kong’s top civil position. The students began peacefully protesting last week, but few expected that these peaceful protests would end up with students clashing with the police.

Are we seeing Tiananmen Square Part II? After a week of protests, the Hong Kong government declared that the student pro-democracy protest is illegal, which is why the police used tear gas to break up the protesters. But apparently the Hong Kong students were prepared for that eventuality and a lot of them had gas masks or goggles to protect them from the effects of the tear gas. This tension between the Hong Kong Government and the students is something that we should watch very closely. Just like the Arab Spring two years ago, we’ll never know where these protests would go.

Meanwhile here back home, it just makes you wonder what those indignant students protesters who pounced at DBM Sec. Florencio “Butch” Abad at the University of the Philippines (UP) are planning what else they would do against the Aquino regime, more so that President Aquino is back and yes, he is still supporting PNP chief Alan Purisima despite the allegations of corruption which the ABS-CBN featured by Ted Failon.

The ball is of course in P-Noy’s court. His “Bosses” are clamoring for the resignation of many of his close Cabinet members or at least a cabinet revamp, but the President will have none of that, which would only mean that the student protests would go on with a heightened regularity.

I’m positive that the Hong Kong pro-democracy protest would embolden our students to test the mettle of the Aquino regime like how the students during our days tested the Marcos regime. Of course when Martial Law was declared, the student protesters died down because of his repressive regime. So is history repeating itself with the Aquino regime? Abangan!

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Last Saturday I opted not to play golf and instead join Mr. Roberto “Bobby” Joseph for the League of Tourism Students (LTS) 2nd Convention at the Grand Convention Center in Cebu City with the theme, “Local to Global.” The convention hall was jampacked with over 700 plus Tourism students from all the various universities of Cebu and Bohol.     

I have to admire the enthusiasm and energy of Mr. Bobby Joseph who talked so bluntly to the students who didn’t even know that he has cancer. His talk wasn’t scripted as he talked from the heart on simple matters like the importance of good manners and right conduct, which works pretty well for our tourism industry. He told them to go back to basics and relive the old values of their parents, which is hard work and making an honest living. He inculcated upon the students to embrace a culture of Tourism.

Bobby Joseph formed a group dubbed Tourism Educators and Movers (TEAM) Philippines and months back, he was in Baguio holding a LTS Convention and three weeks ago, he was in Bacolod City for the same thing. If you ask me, this is what the Department of Tourism (DOT) ought to be doing. To teach students some basics of tourism, Bobby Joseph wrote a book dubbed “A Guide to Global VIPs.” Incidentally Bobby has officially announced his opposition to the increase of terminal fees at the Mactan Cebu International Airport. No doubt, Bobby Joseph is the “Rah-rah” boy for Tourism in the Philippines! Shame on the DOTC for allowing this increase!

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